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Desolate Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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desolate

[ˈdɛsələt ]

Definitions

Context #1 | Adjective

feeling

Feeling or showing great unhappiness or loneliness.

Synonyms

forlorn, isolated, lonely.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
desolate

Use when describing a place that is barren, empty, and devoid of life, often conveying a sense of abandonment.

  • The old town looked desolate after the factory closed down
lonely

Use when describing a person who feels alone and disconnected from others, generally carrying a negative emotional tone.

  • Despite being in a crowd, he felt incredibly lonely
forlorn

Use when describing a person or a place that appears abandoned, sad, and hopeless, often evoking feelings of deep sadness.

  • She felt forlorn and abandoned after her friends left without her
isolated

Use when describing a place or person that is physically separated from others, often implying solitude but not necessarily with negative emotions.

  • The cabin in the woods felt isolated but also peaceful

Examples of usage

  • He looked around the desolate room, feeling a sense of emptiness.
  • The desolate landscape stretched out before him, devoid of any signs of life.
Context #2 | Adjective

place

Empty and lacking in liveliness.

Synonyms

barren, bleak, deserted.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
desolate

This word is used to describe places that are empty and make you feel sad or lonely. It can also be used to describe a person who feels very sad and alone.

  • The once vibrant town was now a desolate wasteland.
  • She felt desolate after her friend moved away.
barren

Refers to land that is unable to produce plants or crops. It can also describe something that lacks stimulation or interest.

  • The farmer stared at the barren fields, wondering how he would feed his family.
  • The conversation was barren and uninteresting.
bleak

Describes situations or places that seem depressing and without hope. It's often used for weather or the future.

  • The landscape was bleak and covered in snow.
  • The economic outlook for the coming months is quite bleak.
deserted

Means that a place is empty of people. It implies that people should be there but are not.

  • The streets were deserted in the middle of the night.
  • They found a deserted island in the middle of the ocean.

Examples of usage

  • The desolate streets were eerily quiet in the early hours of the morning.
  • The desolate village had been abandoned long ago.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Interesting Facts

Literature

  • In many novels, desolate landscapes are used to reflect characters' feelings of emptiness or despair.
  • Famous poems often describe desolate places to evoke a sense of longing and sorrow, creating a contrast with emotions.

Psychology

  • Feeling desolate can connect to emotions like loneliness and depression, impacting mental health.
  • People may use the term to describe times when they feel isolated from friends or family, symbolizing emotional neglect.

Pop Culture

  • Filmmakers often choose desolate settings, such as abandoned towns, to create a tense or spooky atmosphere in horror movies.
  • In music, songs about desolate moods often explore themes of heartbreak and isolation, resonating with listeners.

Geography

  • Desolate regions, like deserts or barren mountains, often face extreme weather conditions that limit wildlife and plant growth.
  • Some national parks exhibit desolate areas that provide unique landscapes but are largely uninhabitable.

Origin of 'desolate'

Main points about word origin

  • The word comes from the Latin 'desolatus,' which means 'to abandon' or 'to leave alone.'
  • It originally described a state of loneliness, but has evolved to refer to abandoned places or wastelands without life.

The word 'desolate' originated from the Latin word 'desolatus', which means 'abandoned' or 'solitary'. Over time, it has come to represent a sense of emptiness, loneliness, and abandonment. The concept of desolation has been explored in various literary works, often symbolizing a profound emotional or physical emptiness.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #10,934, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.